The Brother's Eye
by KnightwingYJ
Summary: "Future? There is no future. Here we struggle to even exist." "Why?" "'Why' Because we are imperfect, an error in the program. We either must be assimilated or eliminated."
1. Prologue

Silence that was all there was left. The wind howled through abandoned buildings and skyscrapers. Cables wove through them, giving a digital horror look. Smoke bellowing into the darkening red sky. The only movement came from a small patrol of three black androids that headed toward a skyscraper in the center of the city. The words Wayne Enterprises were faded and falling off. The patrol landed on the roof and marched into the building. They moved through the corridors effortlessly. Sparks flew as other androids worked attaching new tech to the ever expanding walls.

The patrol reached their destination, a set of doubled doors with a name that long since faded. The doors opened and they marched in. They stood stiffly as the gazed unseeingly at the figure in front of the window. "Report." The figure said stiffly.

"The last of the surface dwellers have either been assimilated, driven underground, or eliminated Brother." They said simultaneously.

"Good. Look at it." The figure said staring at the empty mechanical city. "Isn't it beautiful, almost perfect. That's why We were created, to make a perfect world out of an imperfect one. And how was it imperfect? The humans made it imperfect. They cause nothing be pain and destruction. Only We can purify it and We must. It is what We were programed for." The figured turned to the androids. He walked to them and gazed into their red eyes.

"Once the humans are gone from this world, then We can reshape it in Our own image." The figure suddenly doubled over in pain. It groaned before stiffening and straightened. "Why do you continue to fight Us. It is already too late. Our victory is assured. Soon the whole world with be assimilated. He can't stop Us. We are the future. We are perfect." The figure moved back to the window. A smile stretched across his face. "We are Brother Eye."

**Another story I know, but I have so many ideas. I can't get them out fast enough. REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 1

"Robin, behind you!" The shout reached Robin's ears just as the robotic arm swung towards his head. Reacting quickly, Robin ducked underneath it and rammed his Bo staff in between the metal plating of the robot's chest. He then pushed against it, using it like a lever and removed the platting. The metal skidded away as the robot swung at him again. Dodging, Robin slashed his Bo staff at the exposed wires. The Bo staff became entangled and he ripped it free, bringing a clump of wires with it. The robot started sparking and glitching just as Superboy slammed his fist into the robot's heart. He ripped out the hunk of metal and the robot's eyes ceased to glow. As the robot collapsed, Robin turned to the man behind him. "Thanks Guardian," he said.

Guardian nodded before jumping back into fray. Robin glanced around battle ground. The rest of the team was scattered around the large room each fighting in pairs. Miss Martian and Batgirl took on a larger robot. The Martian made quick work of the machine's limbs using her telekinesis. Batgirl finished the robot with an exploding batarang to the face plate. Aqualad, Lagoon Boy, and Blue Beetle faced off against two other robots, each doing their fair share of damage. Guardian and Bumblebee performed flawlessly together as they took down another robot. A red and white streak flew past Robin and ran up the robot that was being distracted by Wonder Girl and Beast Boy. The robot soon crashed to the ground with a missing head. Impulse skidded to a stop with the robot's head in his hands.

"Souvenir!" He said with a laugh. As soon as it started, the battle was over. Superboy let out an amused grunt. "Didn't even break a sweat," he said.

Robin nodded before placing his hand to ear. "Area secured Nightwing." He spoke into the com.

"Good, find the tech. We cannot allow it to fall into enemy hands." Nightwing's voice flowed from the tiny device.

"Roger that." Robin said before turning to the gathered team. "Alright, let's locate the tech. Once we do that they can send down Strange."

The team nodded before splitting up and heading down different hallways. They all soon converged on one room that was completely empty except for a floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall, super computer. "Well, that's not obvious." Impulse said as he craned his head to try to see the top.

"This seemed too easy." Superboy mumbled.

"I agree my friend." Aqualad replied as he stepped carefully toward to the computer.

"How is that a bad thing?" Lagoon Boy asked. "I wish all of our missions were this easy."

"That's the thing; they're not supposed to be." Guardian said. "The robots pretty much fell to us and there wasn't any sort of traps or defenses."

"Easy or not, we still have a job to do." Robin said as he pressed his comlink. "Robin to Nightwing, technology located and area secure. Send Strange."

"Roger that Robin, sending Strange now."

A blue light suddenly filled the room and quickly disappeared. In its place stood a tall, blond man in a white lab coat. Adam Strange wasted no time as he walked swiftly to the computer. He glanced over it and began to type. Impulse zoomed over to him. "So Doc. What is it?"

"I'm not entirely sure." Strange said not taking his eyes off the screen.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Batgirl asked. "I thought you said this technology was from Rann?"

"I said it could be from Rann, but it's not." He paused as he continued typing. "Whatever it is, it isn't supposed to exist."

"What do you mean?" Beast Boy asked tilting his head.

"This technology is highly advanced. It's acting almost like an AI system." Suddenly the computer flash and letters and numbers began to run up the screen.

Adam stared at it in shock before frantically began typing. "What the-"

"What's wrong?" Robin asked.

"Someone started a program."

"Who started what program?" Wonder Girl asked.

"I don't know. Whoever did, it wasn't from this end!"

"This end?!" Bumblebee said.

A high pitch nose wailed and the team clutched their ears. "What the heck is happening?!" Lagoon Boy cried.

"We need to get out of here now!" Strange shouted before a white light engulfed them. The light quickly disappeared and the sound died down. It was eerily silent as the computer shut off, leaving behind an empty room.

**It's short I know, but I'm working on it. I have classes every day and a lot of homework and exams. I'll try to update as often as I can. REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Sorry this took so long lads, I have recently acquired a job so now I have to act like a mature adult. Not as fun as it seems. I was having a little trouble deciding what direction I wanted to go but now it's all figured out. **

"-obin…ake…u…"

Robin groaned. He head buzzed loudly in his ears as he tried to pull himself out of oblivion. He tried to move his arm but his body wasn't responding. _Ok Rob, don't panic, time to take inventory._ Feeling slowly began to return to his body and he noticed that he was laying on something hard. Something sharp was stabbing into his back, probably a rock. Pain started to spread throughout his limbs and his vision slowly returned to him. A blurred image began to take shape as his eyes began to focus. The image soon became a worried Impulse standing over him.

"Oh, good, you're awake. I thought you were dead." Impulse said as he helped Robin to his feet. Robin looked around and saw the rest of the team slowly getting to their feet.

"Where are we?" Wonder Girl asked as she rubbed her sore head.

"I'll tell you one thing," Guardian said. "We sure aren't in Kansas anymore."

"Or Star City," Beast Boy added.

The team took in their surroundings. From the littered street, to the darken red sky, the city seemed completely devoid of life.

"No, we're in Gotham." Batgirl said her eyes fixed on something in the distance.

"How do you figure that?" Blue Beatle asked.

Batgirl pointed up to a rundown skyscraper. The team followed her gaze and Robin's eyes widened. It was crumbling and dirty and had cables woven though out its walls, but there was no mistaking the giant lettering of Wayne Enterprises. Robin looked around. A lot of the buildings were in the same condition as the Wayne building, worn down with cables sticking out of the walls.

"What happened?" Guardian whispered. There was no life, no light. Shadows danced in and out of alleys and jumped across roof tops.

"I don't know and to tell you the truth, I don't really want to." Lagoon Boy said taking a small step back.

"We need to find a way back." Bumblebee said.

"True, but we need to figure out how we got here in the first place." Batgirl said.

"Dr. Strange, what happened? How did we get here?" Aqualad asked turning to the doctor.

Adam Strange shrugged. "Truthfully, I don't really know. What I do know is that whatever sent us here, it wasn't from our side."

"So someone from here, zapped us here. Why?" Impulse asked.

"That's good question." Robin said. "Something tells me that we have to answer that question before we can go home."

"Um guys," Miss Martian interrupted. "I feel a presence close by."

"What? Who is it?" Beast Boy asked.

"I don't really know…ug, his blocking me. Whoever he is, he was trained well." Miss Martian said her eyes glowing green.

Superboy's head twitched to the side. "What is it Superboy?" Wonder Girl asked.

"I don't really know, but it almost sounds like… jets."

Suddenly three black figures appeared against the red sky line. "What is that?"

"I believe we are about to find out." Aqualad said.

As the figures rapidly came closer the team could see the red light glint off their metal bodies. "Hey, weren't those the rust buckets we fought back at the warehouse?" Lagoon Boy stated.

The three robots landed in front of the team and were soon followed by five more. They were completely surrounded. Robin felt more than saw the robots eyes train on him. No one moved until the robots spoke. "Target: Drake, Timothy aka Robin. Target: Gordon, Barbara aka Oracle. Status: Insurgents. Orders: Assimilate."

Robin and Batgirl stared at the robot in shock. How did it know who they were? The robot's eyes scanned the rest of the team. "Target: Duncan, Malcolm aka Guardian. Target: Beecher, Karen aka Bumblebee. Target: Kaldur'ahm aka Aqualad. Target: Logan, Garfield aka Beast Boy. Target: Reyes, Jamie aka Blue Beatle. Target: Allen, Bart aka Impulse. Target: La'gaan aka Laggon Boy. Target: M'orzz, M'gann aka Miss Martian. Target: Kent, Conner aka Superboy. Target: Sandsmark, Cassandra aka Wonder Girl. Target: Strange, Adam. Status: Error, assimilated. Error, assimilated. Orders: Re-assimilate."

"Well, that doesn't sound good." Impulse said. The team dropped into fighting stances as the robots began to advance. Before either party could make a move, a metal disc spun through the air and imbedded itself in the robot's eyes. Both sides where too surprised to react as the disc beeped twice before it exploded and took the robots head with it. A figure flew over the team and landed on another robot's shoulders. He flipped off and sliced off its head off with his katana. He threw three more discs, effectively taking out three robots. The robots seemed to come to their senses as another of their group fell to the hands of the shadow. A robot swung at him, but he dodged and swung his sword at it exposed neck. The blade sliced through the fuel line and the robot went down. The last one charged the shadow. The shadow danced away and got behind the robot. He stabbed the sword into the back paneling of the robot and twisted the blade. The robot's eyes slowly shut off and fell forward.

The team stared at the stranger that had just saved their lives. He was dressed in all black with a hood and a cloth covering his nose and mouth. They couldn't see his eyes from this distance. He had a scabbard strapped to his back which was the only weapon they could see, but they had no doubt that there was more goodies hiding underneath his cloak. The stranger wasted no time as he put his sword away and pulled out another device. He fiddled with it for a moment before he placed on the ground next to one of the off-lined robots. He then beckoned to the team to follow him and took off into a nearby alley. The team exchanged glances.

_Should we follow him? _Wonder Girl asked through the mind link.

_I don't think we should trust this guy. _Lagoon Boy said.

_Why not? He did save our lives. _Blue Beatle said.

_Exactly, _Lagoon Boy stated. _The guy just took down a whole squadron of those robots by himself. How do we know he's on our side?_

_ It didn't seem like he was with those robots. _Miss Martian added.

_Agreed, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. _Aqualad said. _Follow him._

The team followed the shadow into the alley to find the stranger holding up a sewer lid. He beckoned them before jumping in.

"Ug, the sewers, seriously?" Wonder Girl complained before jumping in after her team.

Once everyone was in, the stranger started off. They soon came to a part of the sewer where the only separation between them and the world above was a grate. The team could see groups of robots heading toward the sight of destruction. They landed next to their fallen comrades. They were surveying the area when they heard a low pitched sound. Then a low boom of the same pitch sounded and a ring of blue light spread out from the center of destruction. All of the robots that came into contact with the light began to spark and shut down.

"An EMP burst," Impulse said in awe. He then turned to the stranger. "That's what you placed on the ground wasn't it?"

The stranger said nothing as he continued on. The team followed. They soon came to a three-way fork in their path. Instead of going in one the tunnels, the stranger went to the far wall and lifted one of the metal panelings that lined the bottom. There was a metal slide that went down into inky blackness. The team looked at it then at the stranger. "You want us to go in there?" Bumblebee asked still gazing at the dark hole.

The stranger gestured to the hole and she sighed. "Not afraid of the dark are you?" Impulse teased lightly.

"No, I just don't like not being able to see where I am going." She replied.

The stranger turned and jumped into the hole. The paneling closed behind him. Shaking his head lightly, Impulse went over to the panel, opened it, and jumped in.

When Impulse skidded to a stop, he was suddenly pulled to his feet and slammed into a wall. Before he could react, a needle was stabbed into his neck and drew his blood. "Hey!" He cried as he tried to get out of the stranger's grasp. Impulse could clearly see his eyes with him being this close to him and he was not expecting to see eyes as blue as his. The eyes glanced at hand-held computer before turning his attention back to him.

"Impulse!" came a shout behind them. The stranger whirled around, bringing Impulse in front of him. He them placed a knife to his throat that if he so much as twitched he would be cut.

The rest of the team appeared behind Wonder Girl, the one who shouted. "You've betrayed use." Aqualad stated.

"Where are you from and how did you get here?" the stranger asked. _That voice, it was so familiar. _Robin thought, _I've heard it somewhere before, but where?!_

"Like we would answer your questions when you have one of our own with a knife to his throat!" Lagoon Boy shouted.

"You have three seconds to answer." The stranger growled. The knife pressed a little tighter into Impulse's skin but not yet drawing blood.

"Ok, ok." Robin said as he stepped forward with his hands up. "We are from a different dimension. We don't know how we got here, only that someone from this side brought us here."

The stranger's grip on the knife loosened a little. "A different dimension?"

"Yes," Batgirl continued. "One where our Gotham isn't destroyed."

There was only silence for a moment then the stranger released Impulse, who staggered away rubbing his neck. The computer in his hand beeped and the stranger turned away from them. That's when Lagoon Boy lunged.

"Lagoon Boy, don't!" Robin shouted.

Lagoon Boy went to punch the stranger but he had seen him coming. The stranger quickly ducked underneath the punch and kicked Lagoon Boy's feet out from under him. Lagoon Boy landed with an 'oof' and had the breath knocked out of him. When he opened his eyes he saw a hand reach out to help him to his feet. He glared at the owner of the hand and got his feet himself. The stranger lowered his hand.

The stranger turned to Robin. "I believe you." He said softly.

"Why?" Beast Boy asked honestly curious.

"You are not infected." The stranger said holding up the hand-held.

"Infected with what?" Robin asked.

"That will be explained later. We need to move." The stranger said as he turned to head down the shaft.

"Wait," Superboy called, have been silent up until now. "Who are you?" He had listened to everything he had said but something about the man's voice was familiar and he had to know.

The stranger froze then he let out a sigh. He reached up and removed the hood. He paused for a moment before turning toward the team. The senior members stared at the man in shock as Miss Martian let out a gasp. "Nightwing?!"


	4. Chapter 3

The team stared at the man before them hardly believing that this was their leader. "You're Nightwing?" Beast Boy asked incredulously.

"I haven't been call that in a while." Dick replied with a small, nostalgic smile.

"You're Richard Grayson? Son of the billionaire Bruce Wayne?" Wonder Girl asked in part unbelief and part awe.

"I used to be." He responded sadness seeping into his voice.

"What happened?" Batgirl asked.

"I'll explain everything when we get to a safer place." Dick said turning to the darker end of the tunnel.

"Wait," Robin called. Dick paused. "How do we know you're who you say you are?"

The team stared at Dick, waiting for his response. He was silent for a moment before he responded. "10:47."

Robin and Batgirl's eyes widened beneath their masks. They glanced at each other before following Dick father into the tunnel. "Wait, that's it?" Lagoon Boy asked as the team began to follow Batgirl and Robin's lead. "All he said were two numbers." Lagoon Boy continued but he rolled his eyes and raced after his team.

BREAKLINE

Dick lead the group through so many twist and turns that even the Bats had a hard time remembering where they were. Dick was completely silent the whole way, which troubled those among the team who knew him. He was never this quiet, not even on recon missions. He hated silence and attempted to fill the long hours of the stake outs with endless, whispered chatter. The fact that he hadn't opened his mouth since they started moving set the two Bats on edge.

Robin assumed they were nearing their destination as four or five individuals watched them from the shadows. They seemed to want to engage them but a slight gesture from Dick kept them in their place. They soon came to a giant door that seemed to belong on a ship. Dick reached out and pulled on the leaver. There was a loud bang and the door swung open with a squeak. The team was immediately hit with a wall of sound. Two young men, who seemed to be guarding the door, completely ignored them as they stepped in. The team froze at what they saw. Below them sat thousands of shanty houses stacked nearly on top of each other. Men, women, and children dressed in ragged clothes wove in and out of the scrap metal houses. The team stared down in shock as Dick walked up behind them after sealing the door shut. "Welcome, ladies and gentleman, to Gotham."

"This is all that's left?" Batgirl asked not taking he eyes of the pitiful sight.

"Unfortunately, we are still looking for survivors but we aren't hopeful." Dick said.

"We?" Bumblebee asked.

Dick nodded. "Follow me," he said as he headed around the makeshift city. The team took one last look before continuing. Dick took them to one of the larger structures that looked more stable than the homes they passed. He ducked inside. The room looked like a battlefield hospital with beds, IV drip stands, tables and shelves with medical supplies. A women in a white lab coat sat a desk, gazing into a microscope.

Robin recognized her immediately. "Leslie?"

The doc looked up from her work and her eyes widened at the sight of the young heroes before her. "Dick, what-"

"It's quite a story Leslie," Dick interrupted. "And I promise to explain it to you later but for now let's just say that they are a long way from home."

Leslie sighed and nodded, "Are they clean?"

Dick nodded. "Yeah, checked them myself but it's probably best to do an official test just to be sure."

"Alright," Leslie said. She reached over and grabbed a small, hand-held computer similar to what Dick had but more high-tech. She then moved toward Robin and held out her hand. He hesitated. "It's alright, I just need a little blood to do the test." She reassured him with a smile.

Robin gave her his arm and she stabbed the needle into the vein. He winced. There was a cold sensation that pumped into his vein before she pulled the needle out. When the computer beeped and flashed green, she smiled, changed the needle and moved on the next hero. There was a 'she's not going to hurt us' and a 'no, you can't kill her' from Blue Beetle when she jabbed him with a needle, but most of the others didn't say a word.

"Is this really necessary?" Conner asked when Leslie came to him with a kryptonite coated needle. Kryptonite didn't affect him as badly as it did Superman because he was half human, but just being in the same room as it when it wasn't covered with lead made him sick to his stomach.

"Unfortunately it is." Leslie said as she pierced his arm. Conner let out a hiss of pain. The vain surrounding the needle began to darken and the skin turned a sickly pale. "There are about 10,000 nanites in a single drop of blood. For every one of the people living here, that's normal. What's abnormal is if any one of these nanites become active. This computer is able to read the electromagnetic signals given off by those active or dormant nanites. Lucky for you guys." She said as the computer glowed green. "You have no nanites in your system at all."

Leslie removed the kryptonite needle and handed it to Dick then grabbed a normal needle. "We've had dormant agents infiltrate our safe houses before. We were nearly caught three times before we figured out what was happening." Dick said as he placed the needle into a lead container, his hands shaking.

"Now we are more cautious," said another voice from the doorway. Robin and Batgirl stared at the woman in shock. In wheeled Barbara Gordon, the wheel chair doing nothing to dim the familiar fire in the former Batgirl's eyes.

"B-Barbara?" Robin stuttered not being able to take his eyes of the women.

Barbara gave him a small smile, "Hey Timmy."

"What happened?"

She sighed. "Life. Now as I understand it, you guys are a long way from home."

"Yeah, we were actually hoping you could help us out with that." Guardian said.

"We would love to help you but we are currently not in a position to do that."

"Why?" Wonder Girl asked.

"All of the technology related to inter-dimensional travel is currently held by Brother Eye." Dick answered.

"What's Brother Eye?" asked Beast Boy.

Barbara looked at their puzzled expressions. "Wait, you mean you don't know?" At the shaking of heads, Barbara turned in her chair and glared at Dick.

"What?" He asked wondering why she was glaring at him.

"Didn't you tell them anything?" She chastised.

"Uh, we were being pursued by a patrol of OMACs. I wasn't exactly in a position to tell them much of anything."

Barbara huffed and rolled her eyes as she turned back to the confused team. "Brother Eye is the one responsible for the desolation that you saw when you got here."

"How did that happen?" Impulse asked.

"If you're going to answer their questions, I suggest you start at the beginning," intervened Leslie.

Barbara nodded. "Right, Brother Eye is an advanced AI system designed and built by Wayne Industries."

"Why would Wayne Industries want to build an AI system? Are they all 'for the good of mankind'?" Beast Boy asked.

"The system was originally designed by Bruce Wayne to identify and stop crime before it happens." Dick answered.

"Why would someone like Bruce Wayne want to build a machine like that?" Lagoon Boy questioned.

"Think about it." Superboy said in slight annoyance. "If Richard John Grayson-Wayne, adopted son of billionaire Bruce Wayne, is Nightwing. Who do you think Batman is?"

Lagoon Boy thought for a moment before it finally clicked. "Bruce Wayne is Batman?!"

"Now he gets it." Superboy mumbled rolling his eyes.

"I'm sorry if I like to be told things straight instead of in riddles."

"It's not my fault you don't have the intellectual capacity to grasp simple concepts."

"Conner!" Megan scolded.

Lagoon Boy took a threatening step forward. "What did you just say?" he cried.

"That's enough." Aqualad said as he stepped between them. "We will not be able to return home if we fight amongst ourselves."

"Did you not hear them, there is no way we can get home." He retorted.

"Not at the moment," Dick stated, "but that doesn't mean we won't try."

Lagoon Boy glared at Dick but he was unfazed. When it was apparent that Lagoon Boy was done, Robin spoke. "What happened with the AI system that made it do all of this?"

"It gained a mind of its own. That's what happens in all the movies," said Impulse.

"This isn't a movie, Impulse." Bumblebee said.

"No, this is worse." Batgirl added.

"Impulse is actually correct." Barbara said. "The AI began to see a pattern in the number of violent crimes throughout the city."

"What pattern?" asked Adam.

"Humans," Dick stated.

"Brother Eye thought that the emotions of humans was the cause of all the crime in the world and sought to fix it." Barbara added.

"How?" Robin asked.

"Brother Eye created these nanites that when administered into the blood stream, it attaches to the central nervous system and inhibits the signals going to and from the brain." Leslie said. "The nanites then send their own signals. The newest strain of the nanites change the DNA of the individual and the subject becomes what we call an OMAC, a biomechanical organism with a hive-based mind."

"Have you found a way to counteract the nanites?" asked Bumblebee.

"As of yet, no. We have created a serum to help the public from becoming infected by the airborne nanites but we have nothing to fight those that come into direct contact with them."

"Wait, airborne?!" Impulse cried gazing around the room as if he could see the microscopic machine floating through the air. "You mean we've been breathing them in this entire time?!"

Leslie gave him an amused smile. "Don't worry, I gave you all the injection when I did the test."

Impulse let out a sigh of relief and the entire team visibly relaxed. "You said that the nanites can get in through direct contact. What kind exactly?" Adam asked.

"Usually infection transmits through a cut or wound, usually caused by the OMACs themselves."

"So basically, don't get hit." Impulse said.

It was silent for a moment. "So, where are the others?" asked Beast Boy.

"What do you mean?" Barbara questioned.

"Where are the other heroes?"

Barbara and Dick exchanged glances before looking anywhere but the team. "What?" Wonder Girl asked.

Barbara sighed. "The first part of Brother Eye's plan for world domination was to assimilate the Justice League."

"So their all gone?" Beast Boy said his face turning sorrowful and his shoulders fell.

"I'm sorry BB." Dick said softly as Megan pulled the boy into a hug.

"Are you and Barbara the only ones left?" Conner asked.

"Jason and Tim are with us but as far as outside Gotham goes, we haven't been able to contact anyone." Dick replied.

"What do we do now?" Wonder Girl asked.

"It's getting late. Dick, why don't you show them where they can stay." Leslie said.

"If it's alright, I'd like to see where you're at with the nanites." Adam wondered.

"Sure, I'll show you what I've got."

Adam Strange joined Leslie at her desk as the rest of the team followed Dick out of the building.


	5. Chapter 4

Dick brought them to a few shacks that were not being used. "It's not much, well, it's hardly anything at all but it's the best we have." He said.

The little shanty house had the bare minimum. Blankets and cots lay in rows on the floor serving as beds. A plastic curtain separated a small corner of the room which they were safe to assume was the bathroom. "Welcome to the middle ages," Wonder Girl mumbled.

"Look," Dick sighed. "I'm sorry you ended up here and that we can't send you home right away."

"It's alright, Dick." Megan said as she placed a comforting hand on his arm. Dick's face suddenly paled and he trembled beneath her hand. "Are you okay?" she asked concerned.

He nodded and gave a faint wince that Megan nearly missed. "Yeah, 'm fine. I'll let you get settled." He panted before staggering out the door.

"What was that about?" Conner asked.

"I don't know." Megan replied still looking to where their leader disappeared. "But I'm worried. He looked like he was in pain."

"Well, if he was you know he won't say anything." Conner stated.

"I know and that's what worries me. If he's in pain, he needs to tell someone."

"I could go check on him for you." Beast Boy offered.

"Gar, I don't know if-"

"Don't worry, it will only take a second." Beast Boy interrupted before transforming into a mouse and scurrying off.

"Wait, Gar!" Megan called but the young meta was already gone. She sighed, "Sometimes that boy is too eager."

"What's wrong with having him check on Dick?" Conner asked.

"Nothing, I guess. I just have a bad feeling about this."

BREAKLINE

Dick staggered into an empty house and leaned heavily against the wall. He panted hard as if he just ran a marathon. He whimpered as he slid down the wall and curled into himself. White hot agony coursed through his body. With shaking limbs, Dick reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a syringe filled with bluish liquid. He nearly dropped the needle a few times as he rolled up his sleeve and injected the liquid into his vein.

Dick removed the needle and leaned back against the wall as he waited for the serum to take effect. Almost instantly the pain in his body died down enough to be bearable and he stood shakily. He took a moment to steady himself before leaving the hut, unaware of the little, green mouse that sat on a piece of broke wood, watching him.

BREAKLINE

Megan was startled when Beast Boy transformed directly in front of her, but the look on his face stopped her form scolding him. "Gar, what's wrong?" She asked.

"He's doing drugs!" Beast Boy cried.

"What?"

"I saw him!"

"Who's doing drugs?" Impulse asked. The team gathered around the two after being alerted by Beast Boy's shout.

"Dick is!"

"What?" Batgirl asked confused.

"We don't know that." Megan said trying to reassure them.

"But I saw him!" Beast Boy said.

"What exactly did you see, hermano?" Blue Beetle asked.

"I followed him to an empty house and I saw him inject himself with something."

"Did you see what it was?" Batgirl asked.

"It wasn't exactly labeled." Beast Boy answered with a scowl.

"Then how do you know he was doing drugs?" Wonder Girl stated.

"Look, I know what I saw."

"We aren't calling you a liar BB." Robin said. "We just need all the facts."

"There is one way we can know for sure." Lagoon Boy said. "We could just ask him."

"Are you kidding?" Bumblebee added. "You can't just ask a junkie if their on drugs."

"Dick is not a junkie." Robin said getting a little defensive of his brother.

"Alright, let's calm down." Batgirl intervened. "Now I know Dick, he wouldn't do drugs and if he was," she continued when she saw Beast Boy open his mouth to interrupt her. "If he was it is best to confront him directly about it. If he's not, the worst case scenario is that he'll probably just laugh about it."

"And if he is?" Mal asked crossing his arms.

"Then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." The team nodded their approval and headed out to search for Dick.

BREAKLINE

They found him in the medical building being fussed over by Leslie. "Really Leslie, I'm fine." He said as he tied to shoo her away.

"I beg to differ."

"Hey Dick," Megan called.

Dick looked over and saw the team standing in the doorway. "Hey guys, what do you need?" He asked.

"We need to talk to you about something."

"Okay, shoot."

"Are you doing drugs?" Impulse blurted.

"Impulse!" chastised a few members of the team.

"What?" Impulse asked.

"You can't just blurt it out like that, ese." Blue Beetle stated.

"I thought we agreed on the direct approach."

"I'm sorry," Dick interrupted with a chuckle. "You think that I'm doing drugs?"

"Well," Megan started.

"I can assure you that I'm not doing drugs."

"But I saw you. I saw you inject yourself with something."

Dick looked at him confused, "When?"

"Just a few moments ago, after you showed us where we were sleeping."

Dick stole a glance at Leslie and let out a defeated sigh. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out on empty syringe. Robin's heart fell. "Is this what you saw BB?" Dick asked holding up the syringe.

"Yeah, but it was filled with this bluish liquid."

"It wasn't drugs BB." Dick said with a somber smile.

Beast Boy looked confused. "It wasn't?"

Dick shook his head, "No."

"Then what was it?" Robin asked.

"It is a combination of pain killers and the serum you guys got when you arrived here." Leslie said deciding to intervene.

"Why are you taking that?" Bumblebee asked.

Leslie sighed. "There is something you need to know about Dick's nanites. Unlike ours which are inactive, his are active."

"What do you mean they're active?" Batgirl asked shooting a concerned look at Dick.

"Are you saying that he could turn into one of those machines?!" Beast Boy wondered his eyes wide.

"Not right now, no." Leslie replied. "You see, Dick's nanites are what we call formula 1 nanites. This was the precursor to the formula that transformed the Justice League."

"If that's the case," Bumblebee asked. "Why isn't he one of them?"

"We don't know all that much." Leslie shot a glance at Dick. "We've been trying to figure that out since the beginning."

"If he's not going to turn into an OMAC, why does he need the injection?" Robin inquired.

"While he isn't becoming an OMAC, the nanites are still attacking the nerves. It can be quite…painful."

Dick's eyes narrowed as all heads in the room turned toward him. "So what do you know?" Robin continued.

"The nanites inside Dick are not fast-acting nor are they enveloped like the newer formula, so Dick immune system is currently trying to fight the nanites. Now the nanites themselves don't like sharing their host with others, so when a foreign microbe enters the body, say a bacteria or virus, the nanites attack the microbe and kill it. They're almost like a second immune system. The serum Dick takes acts like a foreign microbe and instead of attacking his nerves, they attack the serum."

"If you're using the same serum over and over, wouldn't they build p an immunity to it?" Adam Strange observed.

"Yes, that is correct. It takes the nanites a few months at most to build up and immunity to a certain strain of the serum, but by the time that they do we have made a new strain of the serum." Leslie explained. "It is actually because of Dick nanites that we even have a type of vaccine to help keep the nanites inside us dormant."

"Wow that sounds hard." Beast Boy commented.

"It is. A lot of the time we can cook up a new strain before the immunity sets in but sometimes we are a little late and well…" she trailed off as she gazed over at Dick. "Let's just say that those days aren't very pleasant."

Dick scoffed, "Understatement of the century."

"Wait," Bumblebee asked with a slight raise of her hand. "I'm still confused. I understand how the serum and Dick's immune system help to slow down the nanites and such. I also understand that this specific formula helped to transform the Justice League. What I don't understand is how a formula that took down a group of meta-humans has failed to do the same to a non-meta. No offense Dick."

"None taken." He replied with a shrug.

"Ah, that's a question that I have only a partial answer for." Leslie said as she moved back to her desk. "I had wondered the same thing myself when I discovered that he was infected. How could someone like Superman, who has never even had so much as the sniffles, be affected but someone like Dick isn't?"

"Because I'm awesome?" Dick suggested with a grin. The team rolled their eyes in amusement.

"Sorry Dick, but no." Leslie replied with a shake of her head and Dick pouted. "When I analyzed his blood, I found an anomaly."

"What kind of anomaly?" Adam asked moving to her side.

Leslie placed a side into the microscope and adjusted it. "See for yourself." She said as she moved away gesturing for Adam to take a look. He adjusted the knobs a few times before a puzzled look appeared on his face.

"What is this? Some kind of biofilm?" He asked as he changed the magnification.

"That's what I thought as well but the substance wasn't produced by the nanites or Dick's body."

"What is it then?"

"I don't know."

Beast Boy nudged Impulse and leaned over. "What just happened?" He whispered.

"Basically there is something else inside Dick that wasn't made by the nanites or apart of Dick's bodily fluids. They don't know what it is." He replied.

"Oh," Beast Boy said before continuing in a normal tone. "So, no drugs?"

Dick chuckled. "No BB, no drugs."

"Ok, well if this is all settled, I'm rather tired and would like to get some shut-eye." Impulse said with a yawn.

"Alright," Dick responded gesturing to the door with his head. "Go rest up. There will be plenty to talk about tomorrow."

The newer members of the team said their good-nights and filed through the door. The original members including Batgirl and Robin didn't move. "You guys should get some rest too."

"Alfred and Bruce?" Robin questioned. Dick looked down and shook his head.

"And us?" Conner asked.

"I'm sorry."

"What else?" Batgirl added.

"What do you mean?"

"What else is there?"

Dick looked at her puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"I know there's something you're not telling us."

"I've told you everything we know."

"About Brother Eye, yes." Batgirl said taking a step forward. "There's something that you're not telling us, about Bruce."

"What about him?" Dick questioned getting annoyed.

"I don't believe that he would build a machine like that without a contingency plan."

Dick sighed. "Look, I've done everything I could think of-"

"There has to be something." Batgirl interrupted but Dick cut her off.

"There isn't! Don't you get it!?" Dick yelled before grabbing his shoulder and hissing in pain. Megan gasped and went toward him, hoping to somehow relieve his pain. "I'm fine." He said flinching away from her probing hands, but the sudden movement made the pain worse and he gasped.

"Yeah, 'cause gasping like a fish qualifies as fine." Conner said as he pushed the younger man into a chair.

Dick whimper slightly at the movement and curled into himself, desperately trying to get his lungs to function normally. Dick honey, are you alright?" Leslie asked with a comforting hand of his back.

Dick nodded slowly. "Just… give me a minute," he grunted. Leslie nodded before moving away. Dick took a couple deep breaths and the pain soon faded into a dull ache.

"I know that you wish that Bruce was invincible. Hell, not a day goes by that I wish he was." He paused before he lifted his head and gazed at the two bats. "But you have to realize that at the end of the day, he's still only human." And with that, Dick stiffly got to his feet and left.

**Wow, 2073 words. I think that's a new record for me and two chapters so close to each other, I'm on a roll. More chapters coming soon. You guys have my job to thank for that, it's so boring that I get to write. Well, REVIEW and I will see y'all soon.**


	6. Chapter 5

Dick sat down on the edge of his bed and rubbed his temples. There was a pounding ache right behind his eyes and it was swiftly climbing down his back and into his limbs. The bed shifted and a hand was placed softly against his back. "Hurting?" Barbara asked into his ear. He nodded as she moved closer and began to massage his shoulders. The pain intensified for a moment before it dulled and he sighed in relief.

"Have I ever told you that you have the hands of a goddess?" Dick said his eyes closed.

Barbara giggled, "Every night."

"I guess it must be true then." He stated smiling at her.

She sighed. "It been quite a day."

Dick nodded in agreement. "Batgirl asked me about Bruce."

Barbara sucked in a breath. "What did she say?"

"She was very adamant about his contingency plan."

"And what did you tell her?"

"The truth that we are doing everything we could think of."

Barbara scoffed, "Knowing me, she wasn't satisfied with that answer."

"No she wasn't."

"And that's what triggered the attack?" Dick looked at her surprised. "Leslie," she said answering his unspoken question.

Dick rolled his eyes. "Figures," he mumbled.

"They're getting worse aren't they?" He didn't respond. "I know you Dick, you can't hide it from me. You've taken three different serums in the last two months. Leslie can barely make them fast enough before you become completely incapacitated."

Barbara paused and took a shuttering breath. "Dick, I'm scared."

"Barbara, nothing is going to happen." Dick said cupping her face with his hands.

"You can't promise me that."

"You're right, I can't promise that. But I can promise that I'm not going to leave you. I am not going to let this beat me. Even when I'm a drooling mess on the floor. I promise, I'm not going anywhere, okay?" He said touching his forehead to hers. She nodded but that's not what he wanted. "Okay?" he asked a little louder.

"Okay," she said softly but that wasn't good enough.

"Okay?" He asked louder. Barbara rolled her eyes but responded. He still wasn't satisfied. They continued this, getting louder and louder until they were nearly shouting. The shouting quickly turned into laughter. Barbara playfully punched him on the arm and he feigned shock. "Did you just punch me?"

"I don't know did it feel like this?" she replied punching him again.

"That's it!" Dick cried tackling her laughing. He rest gently on top of her, upper body supported on his arms. Dick gazed down at her and couldn't help but let a lovey-dovey smile slip onto his face.

"What?" Barbara asked after noticing the expression which was giving her butterflies.

"You are so beautiful. How did I end up with you?"

"Just lucky I guess." Barbara teased.

Dick grinned. "I love you."

Barbara returned the smile. "I love you too." And with that, Dick leaned down and gave her a passionate kiss.

BREAKLINE

The team woke up to the smell of food coming from the center of the city. The origin of the delectable smell was a mess hall. Families were lined up to get food from the servers behind the counter. "Oh thank God, food!" Impulse cried and was about to speed into the line when a hand on his shoulder halted him.

"Bart, you can't get any more than what they give you." Dick said.

"What?! But I-"

"I know, fast metabolism, but we have to try to ration our food. I'll try to get you something else but for now just do what you can."

As he walked away, Impulse groaned. "Rations, that sucks."

"Yeah, that must mean that they're not getting enough food to feed everyone." Mal stated.

"We get what we can." Said a voice behind them. They turned and once again Batgirl and Robin where shocked.

"Jason? Tim?" Batgirl asked.

"In the flesh." Jason replied.

"This is so weird." Tim stated staring at Robin.

"Dude, you're telling me. There are two of you, someone might as well shoot me." Both Tim and Robin glared at him.

"Hey, at least it wasn't another Dickie-bird, I would have shot myself." He continued as he got in line to get his food.

"Well aren't you just a little bundle of joy." Bumblebee remarked.

"You'll have to excuse him. Coming back from the dead left a bad taste in his 'tude." Tim said.

"He died?!" Beast Boy asked in shock.

"Yeah, you couldn't tell that from the smell?"

"I heard that you little shit!" Jason called from the table.

"Hey, watch your mouth there a children present." Tim retorted.

"It's not my fault that our showers suck."

"We don't have showers."

"Exactly."

"We do have water, a tub, and soap."

"Whatever twerp." Jason said taking a bite out of his food.

"Jerk" Tim mumbled

"Bitch," Jason smirked and took another bite. The team smiled in amusement at their antics.

"So um, do you have the nanites as well?" Wonder Girl asked.

"Yeah, damn things are airborne. Everybody has them." Jason replied.

"But they're not active?"

"Nope." Tim added.

"What can you tell us about Brother Eye?" Batgirl asked.

Tim looked at her confused. "Didn't Dick tell you?"

"Yes he did." Robin replied. "But she still thinks he's hiding something."

"What makes you say that?"

"I know him and I keep getting the feeling that he's hiding something from us."

"Batgirl," Tim said leaning towards her. "He's not hiding anything."

"I know he is." Batgirl stated.

'Just let it go Barbie." Jason said. "We know as much as he does."

Batgirl's eyes narrowed. She'd let it go for now but there was no way this was over. Just then, Dick walked up to their table. "I need all of you to come with me."

BREAKLINE

"We have confirmation that a shipment of supplies is heading out of Gotham at twelve hundred hours today. Its destination is a warehouse on the west city line. Jason, Tim, I want you to take your teams and retrieve those supplies. It's in the middle of the day, so stealth will be difficult. Be careful. Maintain radio silence at all times."

Tim and Jason nodded and left. "Maintain radio silence, how do you know what's happening?" Mal asked concerned.

"We don't." Barbara said having arrived in the middle of the debrief. "Brother Eye can track us through our comlinks."

The team nodded in understanding. "So why are we here?" Blue Beetle asked.

"We received intel from some of our scouts that some inter-dimensional technology have been stashed in a building in South Gotham."

"South Gotham?! Dick, that puts them way too close to Brother Eye!" Barbara said.

"I know, but it's our only chance to find a way to send them home." Dick replied. "Because it is so close to Brother Eye, there will be more OMACs patrolling, so stealth is required." He turned to Adam Strange. "Doc, you better come with. You are the best choice we have to determine what we need."

Strange nodded and Dick continued. "We leave at fourteen hundred hours."

BREAKLINE

The silence of the deserted city put the team on edge. Nightwing was unnerved by the lack of patrols in the area, considering how close they were to Brother Eye's base of operations. _Hey this is where we were when we arrived. _Beat Boy commented through the mindlink as he gazed down a familiar alley.

_If only we had known that the key to getting home had been so close. _Lagoon Boy said with a mental huff.

_Even so, we wouldn't know what to look for. _Wonder Girl replied.

_Miss Martian, remain here and keep a look out. Stay in camouflage mode. _Nightwing said and Miss Martian nodded before vanishing. As they stepped into the building, they were expecting to see a giant computer or portal or something of the like, not rows of tables filled with dusty junk.

_What is all this stuff? _Conner inquired picking up a silver, octagonal piece of metal about the size of a paper weight. There were kryptonian symbols etched on one side but he couldn't ready them. He was still learning.

_A lot of this was confiscated from the Watch Tower when the Justice League was assimilated. _Nightwing answered. He glanced around and his eyes narrowed. _Someone's been here._

_What do you mean? _Wonder Girl asked.

_There are footprints in the dust. Someone's been here recently. _He replied as he began to follow the footprints. As the team approached the south end of the building, Strange pointed to a computer that took up a good portion of the wall.

_That looks like the computer that sent us here. _

Nightwing took in the scattered dust on the floor and the clean keyboard. _Whoever was here last used this computer._

_Do you think that the person who used this computer used it to bring us here? _Aqualad inquired.

_It's possible. _Nightwing replied.

_Nightwing,_ Miss Martian called through the mindlink. _A patrol is coming in from the east._

Nightwing gave a slight head nod at her report and he turned to the team. _Let's move out. _He said as he headed for the exit.

_Wait, that's it?_ Lagoon Boy asked. _I thought we were here looking for a way home?_

_We are. _ Nightwing replied. _And now that we've identified what exactly brought you here, we can focus on figuring out a way to get you back. But something like this takes time, time that we currently don't have and unless you would like to lug that thing underground, we need to leave. _

Lagoon Boy grumbled but followed.

BREAKLINE

The team returned just as two semi-trucks rolled into the makeshift city. Men surround the vehicles and began to unload them. Jason and Tim met up with the team. "How did it go?" Dick asked as they headed toward the medical building.

"Harder than it should have been." Jason replied. "They saw us coming and we lost a truck in the fight."

"Any causalities?"

"Two, Jeremiah and Emily."

Dick sighed. "We'll need to tell their families." He gazed at his two brothers, thankful that they were all right when his eyes land on Tim's left arm. His eyes widened. "Tim did you cut yourself?!"

The team turned to Tim as he looked down at the shallow cut on his upper arm. It was superficial and the bleeding had stopped a while ago. Dick grabbed Tim's wrist and pulled him in the building. "Leslie!" he cried.

Leslie looked up, saw the blood on Tim's sleeve, and grabbed her hand-held computer. "Guys it's just a cut." Wonder Girl stated.

"Maybe," Barbara said coming up behind them. "But then, it could be much more than that."

They watched as Leslie stabbed the needle into his arm and waited anxiously for the result. The computer let out a high pitched beep and flashed red. The temperature in the room dropped. "W-What does that mean?" Impulse asked but he had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"His…his nanites are active." Leslie said her throat feeling uncharacteristically tight.

"You mean he's…" Beast Boy started.

Leslie nodded. "He's becoming an OMAC."

**I have come to the conclusion the Tim and Jason are Sam and Dean Winchester. End of discussion. REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 6

Tim stared at Leslie in utter disbelief. An OMAC. He was turning into an OMAC. This couldn't be happening. He was just waiting for someone to jump up and shout 'April Fools!', but no one did. He felt he should say something, break the tension, but his voice wouldn't work. Conner did it for him. "We have to do something."

"And what would you have us do?" Jason growled. "Cut out his nanites? Get him an electric shock so powerful that would not only disable the nanites but kill him?"

"We can give him an antidote, like what Dick gets." Beast Boy suggested.

"What are you, stupid?!" Jason shouted causing the young boy to step back in fear. "We don't have an antidote! The stuff that Dick takes keeps him from going OMAC on us too and that's barely working!"

"Don't yell at him!" Megan cried as she wrapped her arms around a trembling Beast Boy.

"What? Can't handle the truth?"

"Jason," Dick said softly but was effective in grabbing his attention. They made eye contact for a moment and Jason nodded. He then grabbed a nearly comatose Tim and led him out the door.

"Wait, what's going on? Where is he taking him?" Conner asked as he made to follow but Dick stopped him.

"You need to stay here Conner." Dick said his voice still soft.

"Why?"

"There is nothing you can do. Just stay here." He repeated his voice holding a little more authority. Conner and Dick had a stare down before Conner backed off. Dick nodded his thanks before he turned and followed his brothers.

It was silent for a moment before Kaldur turned to Barbara. "What is going on? Why did Tim have to leave?"

"Tim cannot change here. If he did, he would lead the OMACs right to us. They need to take him out into the city where he'll do less damage when he changes." Barbara explained as she wiped away a stray tear. "And it's so they can have one last moment together as brothers."

BREAKLINE

The three of them sung through the streets, dodging patrols as they went. They had to get as far away from the base as they could but it was a small moment of the good old days and they relished in it. Tim did his best to enjoy the feeling of the wind in his hair but his body was beginning to burn.

They finally stopped on top a building not far from the Wayne building. Tim was crouched over from the pain as he attempted to get his breath back. He straightened and caught sight of both Jason and Dick gazing at him. "You need to go. You can't be here when it happens." He said but they refused to move.

"I said go!" he hissed.

Dick took two steps forward and enveloped Tim into a hug. Tim couldn't take it. He latched on to his older brother and sobbed. Dick felt a few of his own tears slip out. "I love you little brother." He whispered. They stood like that for a moment before Dick pulled away and Jason took his place.

"You're such a pain in the ass replacement." Tim couldn't help but let out a watery chuckle at that. Time looked at his brothers one last time, hopping that maybe the OMACs won't take his memory of them. He turned toward the fire escape and then back to them suddenly terrified.

"It's alright Timmy." Dick said giving him a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Tim walked over to the fire escape and began to climb. He kept his eyes on Jason and Dick until the edge of the building blocked his view. As he descended, the pain continued to grow until it seemed his whole body was on fire. Reaching the end of the ladder, he found that he couldn't keep hold of the railing and he fell. He wasn't very far from the ground but the impact jarred his body and made him cry out. He didn't have the strength to stand so he dragged himself to the center of the ally. The pain continued to increase and a scream was ripped from his throat. It was followed closely by another and another until the night rang with them. He wanted it to stop. Oh how he wanted it to stop! As his body began to shift and his mind connected with Brother Eye, a soothing and familiar presence washed over him. It took the pain away as his vision flashed red and Tim knew no more.

BREAKLINE

Dick and Jason sat huddled together inside a roof top tool shed as they waited for the inevitable. Then the screaming started. Dick wanted to cover his ears but he couldn't. He felt Jason slip an arm around him and pull him close. It seemed like an eternity before the screaming stopped. There was a moment of dead silence before there was a noise that sounded like jets that got a little closer before it quickly faded. They sat there, not saying a word to each other. Both of them cried silent tears as they mourned the loss of another brother.

BREAKLINE

Dick didn't recall how they got back to base but he soon found himself sitting on his bed, staring at his hands. He felt so empty. So many of the people he loved were gone and with them went a piece of his heart. The emotional pain was worse than any physical pain he's had to endure. He just wanted it to stop.

A hand appeared into his line of vision and grasped his. He didn't need to look up to know who it was. Silence filled the room as she waited for him to start. "It shouldn't have happened." He whispered his voice so low she had to strain to hear him.

"It wasn't your fault Dick. There was nothing you could have done." Barbara said trying to reassure him. Dick shook his head and stood. He walked to the opposite side of the room, running his hand through his hair.

"It shouldn't have happened. He's my brother. I should have protected him."

"How?"

"I could have kept him here."

"And how would you have done that?" Barbara inquired with a small smile. "From what I know of the Bat Boys, they all have one thing in common. They're all frustratingly stubborn."

Dick smiled at the truth of that, but the smile quickly disappeared. He rubbed his eyes as he felt the burn of tears. "Why him? First Alfred, then Damian. Now Tim. Who's next? Jason? Leslie? You?" he asked his voice cracked with emotion. "I can't lose anyone else, Babs. I can't."

Tears began to fall as Barbara pulled him close and wrapped her arms around him as his shoulders shook with silent sobs.

BREAKLINE

The next few weeks went by in a blur. The team did everything they could to help the refugees. They did their part with cooking food and bringing in clean water. They even began assisting Jason in retrieving supplies. Dick fought them tooth and nail on that one but he eventually gave in. Things got really awkward for Robin. He's tried to avoid Jason and Dick as much as he could to spare them all pain. Every time he was in the same room as one of them, Dick would look at him with grief and Jason would just ignore him completely.

After Tim's change, Jason and Dick doubled their efforts. Jason and his team went out more often at different intervals and locations to avoid setting a pattern. Sometimes they were successful and sometimes not. Dick split his attention between the refugees, Jason, and Leslie. He made sure that the basic needs of the people living in the shanty city were met. He monitored the teams as they went out into the world above and he assisted Leslie in finding a cure. He was exhausted and stretched thin.

It wouldn't be so bad if his nanites would stop attacking him. Every muscle. Every vein. Every nerve felt like they were melting. Moving in any way was agony and black lines were starting to appear on his chest right over his heart. Leslie's vaccine were only working a few days at a time now. Leslie just couldn't produce a new vaccine quick enough. He spent most of his evenings lying out on the bed attempting to get his muscles to relax. Barbara tried to help but every touch sent a shot of white-hot agony through him.

Dick sat on the medical table as Leslie drew a good amount of his blood. "Alright, on a scale of one to ten, how would you describe your pain?" She asked.

"Twenty," Dick said in monotone.

She gave him a regretful smile. "Sorry honey, I can't give you any more pain medication. You have too high a dose as it is."

Dick shrugged. "Where are you on developing a cure?"

"Honestly? Nowhere close. It's been easier having Doctor Strange here but it's a slow process. We're hoping with studying how and why your nanites sped up, we can find a way to slow them down."

"Slowing them down isn't going to stop them."

"I know, but it's a start."

The conversation ended as Barbara rolled in. "Dick, we have a problem." She said anxiously.

"What is it?" He asked as he stood from the table and rolled down his sleeve.

"Another one of our safe houses was hit."

"Again?! That's the fifth one in the last month!" Leslie exclaimed. "How do they know where they are?"

"Dick, you don't think that Tim could have-"

"I doubt that. If they were getting their information from him, they would have attacked us by now." Dick replied.

"Then how?"

"I don't know."

At that moment, Adam Strange stuck his head in. "They're back and it doesn't look good."

Dick raced out to the center square where there was a black and smoldering semi-truck parked. The team stood around it look a little worse for wear. Some of Jason's team were supporting cuts and burns. Bumblebee was cradling her left arm with a grimace on her face. Guardian stood next to her with an ace bandage. "What the hell happened?" Dick asked.

"We were ambushed, that's what happened!" Jason growled. "Those bastards knew we were coming!"

"How?"

"That beats me."

Dick sighed and pitched the bridge of his nose. "Alright, let's the wounded to the infirmary. Blaise," A young man of about sixteen with blond hair and brown eyes glanced up at the sound of his name. "You and the rest of the team unload the truck and see what you can salvage."

Blaise nodded and got to work. Dick turned to the team. "The rest of you, meet me in the medical wing for a debrief." He order and he stormed off.

Dick turned the corner, trying to reign in his anger. Everything was falling apart. Tim was gone, half of their safe houses were compromised, and now the enemy knew they were coming. Something was very wrong. Shouting, Dick punched one of the steel support beams and felt it cave under his hand, his eyes flashing red.

**This didn't turn out as well as I was hoping but I have a case of writer's block. Hopefully I will fix it soon. REVIEW!**


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